Direction-indicator eor vehicles



F. F. BRENDLE.

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1919.

,7 Patented June 15,1920.

K fiW/M 19/ 6/7076 awuewtoz UNITED srArss PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKF. BRENDLE, 0F SALINA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO ROY C.GARRUTI-IEBS AND ONE-THIRD '50 MYRTLE OARRUTl-IERS, BOTH 0F SALINA,KANSAS.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR FUR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1920.

App1ication filed November 26, 1919. Serial No. 340,951.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK F. BRENDLE, a citizen of the United States,residing Saline, in the county of Saline and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new 7 and use ful Improvements in Direction-indicatorsfor Vehicles, of which the following 15 a specification.

This invention relates to direction indlcators for vehicles and it isthe dominant object of the invention to provide a pneumatically operatedsignal capable of being attached to and operated from the drivers seatof a vehicle, whereby change in direction of the course of the vehiclemay be clearly signaled to other vehicles and pedestrians therebyallowing. ample time to avoid the vehicle displaying the signal andpreventing collisions, accidents.

or the choking of traffic.

Another and equally important object of the invention is to providemeans for automatically returning the signal means to inoperativeposition subsequent to a signaling operation, thereby rendering the sameready for further use.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an audible signaloperable upon movement of the main or visual signal means to itsinoperative position.

ther independent objects are to provide features of construction ofportions of the device which tend toward the attainment of the aboveaims irrespective of the relation in which they are used.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown one of various possibleembodiments'of my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the improved signal;and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section therethrough.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings and in connection withwhich like reference characters will designate corresponding parts inthe several views, 1 represents the tubular cylinder of the device,

the remaining extension is engaged with ascrew threaded nipple 5, thesaid nipple in turn, being connected to a hose or other form of conduit6, the said conduit having engagement with a multi-way valve 7. It is ofcourse to be understood, that the conduit 8 extending from the multi-Wayvalve is in connnunication with a suitable source of air supply arrangedat a point convenient upon the vehicle and capable of being replenishedfrom time to time.

Slidably arranged within the tubuar cylinder 1 is a piston 9 providedwith a suitable rod having a screw threaded intermediate portion 10while portions thereof are squared as at 11 and rounded as at 12, therounded extremity of the rod being provided with a longitudinallyextending way 13, the said way opening onto the squared extremity 11 andonto the outer extremity of the rounded portion 12. In this connection,it is to be noted that a whistle 14 is arranged on the outer end of therounded extremity 12 and communicates with the said way 13 whereby itmay be operated at times. Mounted in the cylinder 1 and having bearingupon the stuffing gland 4: and the adjacent side of the piston 9 is acontractile coiled spring 15, which spring, obviously, serves. as meansfor normally maintaining the said piston 9 in a position adjacent therear end of the cylinder -1, thus maintaining the signaling means,hereinafter more fully described, in inoper ative position.

Curved spring arms 16 are secured to portions of the rounded extremityof the piston red as at 17 and have the free ends thereof extending topoints in proximity of the outer end of the said rounded ex tremity. Asignal cloth 18 is secured to the oppositely disposed spring arms 16 andto the rounded extremity 12 of the piston rod as at 19. Upon the cloth18, matter indicating the movements or the directions in which a vehicleis to travel may be arranged, such as for instance words Stop Right orLeft.

A circular piece 20 is carried upon the end of the rounded extremity 12of the piston rod and is adapted to be engaged over the open outer endof the tubular cylinder 1 when the piston assumes a position adj acentthe rear end of the said cylinder, thus eliectively closing the same.

lVhen employing my improved pneumatic operated signal, a plurality ofthe same are used, having different words arranged upon the respectivesignal cloths thereof, it of course being understood, that conduits 6are extended into engagement with each of the tubular cylinders of thevarious signals and that these conduits in turn are connected to theports of the multi-way valve 7 whereby the same may be selectivelyoperated.

In operation, air is admitted to the tubular cylinder 1 by way of themulti-way valve 7 and the conduit 6 thereby forcing the piston 9forwardly and allowing the spring arms 16 to be expanded, thuspermitting the displaying of the signal cloth 18 in an ef icient manner.Rotation of the piston rod and hence, the signal cloth is avoided d Lieto the squared extremity 11 of the piston rod, which, as will be noted,passes through the stuiling gland l arranged upon the rear end of thecylinder 1. Due to the fact that the way 13 extending longitudinally ofthe rounded extremity 12 of the pis ton rod is of less size than thebore of the cylinder 1, air will be slowly exhausted therethrough and asa consequence, will operate the whistle let carried thereby; attractingattention to the signal and allowing ample time for following vehiclesand pedestrians to avoid the vehicle displaying the signal. To returnthe signal cloth of the indicator to its inoperative or non-signalingposition, the, multiway valve 7 is closed whereupon the contractilespring 15 moving the piston rod inwardly and collapsing the signal cloth18, causes gradual discharge of the air in the cylinderthrough the portof the whistle 14. When the signal has been fully retracted, theend'piece20 carried upon the end of the rounded portion 12 will beengaged over the open end of the cylinder 1 thus eiiectively closing thesame.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerablemodification and such modification as is within the scope of my claims,I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A vehicle signal, including a cylinder having an inlet port, a pistonworking in said cylinder, a rod extending from the piston having a wayformed therein and comnninicating with the cylinder, a whistle arrangedin said way, and a collapsible signal carried on said rod.

52. XL vehicle signal, including a cylinder having an inlet port, apiston working in said cylinder carrying a rod, said rod having a wayextending therethrongh and coinmunicating with the cylinder, a whistlearranged in said way, curved spring arms secured to the rod, a flexiblesignal cngagral with said spring arms and said. rod, an end piececarried by the rod engageable over the end oi. said cylinder uponretraction el' the piston therein, and spring means in the cylinder fornormally maintaining said piston in retracted position.

A. vehicle signal incllnling a cylinder having an inlet port, a pistonrcciprocably mounted in said cylinder, a rod carried by the pistonprovided with a longitudinal passage to permit gradual discharge oi" airfrom the interior of the cylinder, spring means normally tending towithdraw the piston and rod, and a. flexible signal carried by theterminal of the rod adapted to be withdrawn and concealed within thecylinder during retraction of the piston by the spring means.

vehicle signal including a cylinder having an inlet port, a pistonreciprocably mounted in said cylinder, :1. rod carried by the pistonhaving a longitudinal passage communicating with and adapted to permitdischarge of the air from the interior of the cylinder, spring meansnormally tending to withdraw the piston, a signal carried by theterminal of the rod adapted to be withdrawn into the terminal oi thecylinder, and an audible signal operable by the air discharged throughsaid passage.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature hereto.

FRANK F. BR ENDLE.

